Paper or fiber railway signal-torpedo.



F. BUTCHER.

PAPER 0R FIBER RAILWAY SIGNAL TORPEDO.

APPLIDATIQN FILED AUG. 25, 1910.

Patented Mar. 17, 1914.

WEED sTATEs PATENT orries.

FRANK BUTCHER, or vE-asAILLEs, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR To CENTRAL BAIL- wAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A; CORPORATION on NEW JERSEY.

Specification-of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 17, 1914.

Application filed August 25, 1910. Serial No. 578,980.

To all whom it may concern j Be it known that I, FRANK DUTOHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Versailles, in the county of Allegheny and have invented cer- State of Pennsylvania, tain new and useful Improvements in Paper or Fiber Railway Signal-Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in paper or fiber railway signal torpedoes, and pertains to a paper torpedo which is circular in contour and comparatively fiat or thin in cross-section and made up of oppositely arranged telescoping cup-shaped paper members; and furtheiyit comprises a plastic explosive in tablet form smaller in cross-sectional area than the internal area of the box formed by the telescoping cupshaped members.

One of the objects of my present invention is to provide a combined annular strengthening and sealing member applied to the flat surface of the torpedo case at the outer junction of the telescoped cup-shaped members, whereby the completed torpedo is strengthened against being crushed when packed in bulk in boxes for shipping, or

when being handled to prevent premature explosion.

Another object of the present improvement is to have plastic tablet form of explosive which is smaller in cross-sectional area than the internal area of the completed torpedo case, to prevent a frictional grinding of the explosive by slight compression of the case due to its slight flexibility, either during transportation or in the hands of a person.

A further object of my present improvement is to provide one of the outer cupshaped paper members with slots through which the rail-engaging strap passes, and to provide a watertight seal for these slots, which seal also serves to hold the adjacent cup-shaped paper member within the first mentioned one during the handling while being manufactured.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved torpedo, showing it applied to the tread of a railroad rail. Fig. 2 is a central transverse sectional view taken longitudinal of the railattachingstrap. Fig. 3 is a sectional view at right angles to Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the several parts comprising the torpedo case and the explosive tablet,the several parts being shown in separated relation.-

Referring now to the drawings, the torpedo case is made up of a cup-shaped paper member 1, which has in its bottom transverse strap receiving openings 2, and a bulged outer portion 3, between which and the bottom 4 of the case, the rail-attaching strap 5 passes. This rail-attaching strap is here shown as formed of a lead strip.

A cup-shaped paper member 6, of a size to fit within the case 1, is placed therein with its bottom against the inner side of the bottom of the cup-shaped member 1. The plastic tablet explosive 7 is placed within this paper member 6, and an inverted cup-shaped paper member 8 is telescoped within the case 6, as shown.

Preferably, a fiber or paper ring 9 is placed around the edge of these assembled cup-shaped paper members and serves to hold their flanges in position.

My present improvementswill now be explained.

A water-proof composition 10 is placed on the inner face of the bottom of the case 1, to seal the strap receiving slots or opening 2, and it also serves to hold the member 6 therein. This sealing composition is placed therein in a melted condition and the member 6 put in position before it hardens. The composition after it hardens becomes substantially rigid though it is of such a nature that it is capable of some flexibility without breaking-or, in other words, is to some extent pliable. It is composed of suitable proportions of beeswax, resin and plaster of Paris.

In the manufacture of paper torpedoes, great difficulty has been encountered in making a sealing composition stick to the raw untreated paper case, unless it is of such nature that it becomes softened in warm, damp atmosphere. Such a sealing composition is very objectionable. A composition, such as mentioned, or any sealing composition which will become hard and unaffected by climatic conditions, is found to peel off from the raw paper and, as stated, for these reasons there has been great difliculty in obtaining a suitablesealing composition which ermanently adheres to the paper case wlthout the objections mentioned. I have discovered that by first thoroughly boiling these paper cupshaped members or cases in paraffin wax at a temperature of 300 oughly enters the paper fiber, but there is no visible coating left thereon, but a base is formed to which a sealing composition hav ing the characteristics of the composition "herein mentioned will tenaciously adhere,

and will not peel therefrom. The boiling of the cases in the paraffin wax, as stated, performs the double function of making a case which is, to a large extent, water-proof and one to which a sealing composition can be applied, which will harden and not be subject to changes due to atmospheric changes and at the same time effect a thorough water-proof seal wherever applied to the case.

Another feature of my present improvement is the application of an annular ringlike sealing hardening composition 11, to the meeting points of the members 1, 6, 8 and 9, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. This composition is placed in position by a brush while in a melted condition. It thoroughly enters the interstices between the members constituting the case and forms a combined water-proof and strengthening ring for the case. It strengthens the case against being collapsed to any material extent when being shipped in bulk; it is not knocked or peeled off when shipped in bulk and forms a thoroughly water-proof seal between the adjacent portions of the several members which constitute the case.

I have previously referred, in a general way, to the plastic tablet explosive 7. Broadly considered, this is not new, it being shown in my Patent No. 938,465, November 2nd, 1909. My present improve- 131,v the wax thor-l ment in respect to this feature, consists in making this tablet smaller in area than the interior area of the case to prevent any grinding of this composition by reason of any slight compression of the case either during transportation in bulk, or while beinghandled, due to a slight flexibility of the case itself, and thus preventing accidental explosion under the conditions named.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A fiber torpedo comprising cup-shaped fiber members placed one within the other, an explosive within the members and a ring of sealing cement uniting the members, said members being composed of materials to which said cement will adhere under the normal varying atmospheric changes of moisture and temperature, the cement being.

applied when melted, and under normal temperatures being sufficiently hard to hold said members together under ordinary torpedo usage and forming with said members a water-tight compartment.

2. A fiber torpedo comprising three cupshaped fiber members, two of them placed one within the other-with their bottoms to gether, the third one telescoping within the inner one in inverted position, and explosive within the two inner members, a single ring of combined sealing and strengthening cement applied to the top of the inner member, to the edge of the outer member, and to the edge of the cup-shaped member forming the bottom of the inner member for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK DUTOHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

